Creating a super large rack for bicycle touring

In my young 20's I took my first tour across the country. Within days of my departure I knew my bike was not setup properly for such an en-devour. I used panniers to carry stuff and they acted like a sail in the wind. I could feel myself slowing down every time a gust of wind picked up.

I wanted to speed up my riding and still carry all my stuff. It took me two weeks to figure out the solution. I got rid of the panniers, and bought a small camping grill. I put the grill portion over my bike rack and made a super duper rack. I found one of these on amazon for about $11.

Using the rack with bungee cords I was able to attach all my supplies ( sleeping bag, mat, mosquito net, camping stove ) behind my body. This minimized wind resistance, and I was able to bike about 1.5mph faster which is huge on a loaded tour.